This invention relates to berry packaging apparatus and more particularly it concerns apparatus for filling and covering, in a semi-automatic fashion, berry boxes of the type having vertical slots on opposite sides thereof.
In the past, the filling of berry boxes with blueberries or the like prior to sale or shipment has generally been a totally manual operation. Typically, the berries are poured into the boxes and a flexible wrapper is wiped down around the berries and the box periphery. This wiping operation is performed either wholly by hand or with a hand manipulated rectangular wiper. The wrapper is then held in place by a rubber band or the like.
As is readily apparent, this operation is generally time-consuming and does not result in significant production rates. Further, increased labor costs as well as the difficulty in obtaining sufficient competent help have generally led to an increase in the retail price of the berries.
Another disadvantage with the manual packaging of berry-type products involves the difficulty associated with the separation of the berry boxes. The boxes, which are generally polygonal in shape, come from the manufacturer in a stacked condition. The boxes are nested together and at times it is extremely difficult to separate the individual boxes. This situation further aggravates the above mentioned production rate problems. Also, this denesting problem at times results in unseparated boxes being filled with berries and covered with a flexible wrapper. This waste of packaging material also results in increased production costs.